Vote Vets, a coalition that includes 1,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, produced some of the most gripping ads of the 2006 cycle, denouncing the war in Iraq and Republicans who refused to provide US soldiers with proper body armor. Recently, their spot opposing an escalation of troops was the only notable part of the ad blitz during the Super Bowl.

Today, the Washington Post gave long overdue credit to the group and its 28-year-old co-founder, Iraq War vet Jon Soltz. He calls Bush and Cheney “draft dodgers,” says Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is “aiding the enemy” by ignoring the war in Afghanistan and labels those who don’t want to debate the war “cowards.” Finally, some straight talk in the nation’s capitol!

If politics were fantasy football, Soltz blogs, he’d trade Joe Lieberman for Chuck Hagel.

“I don’t think 20,000 more troops is Democratic, I don’t think 20,000 troops is Republican,” says Soltz. “I think it’s stupid.”

Well said.